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Subject: Lambic Digest #869 (June 13, 1996)
Lambic Digest #869 Thu 13 June 1996
Forum on Lambic Beers (and other Belgian beer styles)
Mike Sharp, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
AHA Talk Part 9 (Jim Liddil)
Various (Jim Liddil)
barrels for lambic fermentation (Kenny lefkowitz)
1st place pLambic (Ron Raike)
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Date: Tue, 11 Jun 1996 8:06:49 -0700 (MST)
From: Jim Liddil <JLIDDIL at AZCC.Arizona.EDU>
Subject: AHA Talk Part 9
Suppliers
Because lambic-style beers are not widely brewed the
Brettanomyces yeast and Pediococcus bacteria are not always
available on the shelf at your neighborhood homebrew shop.
The other reason for limited availability is that these
cultures do not maintain viability for as long a period of
time as do more traditional brewing yeast. Both the
Brettanomyces and Pediococcus are acid producing organisms
and this causes them to literally kill themselves off when
stored for extended periods. Also the organisms are
extremely fastidious, meaning they have complex nutritional
and environmental requirements and cannot be maintained in
static storage for long periods.
The following is a list of suppliers both retail and
wholesale who are known to carry the cultures and/or the
culturing equipment and supplies needed to grow and
maintain these organisms. No endorsement is made for any
particular company.
Advanced Brewers Scientific
3034 SE. 20th 2233 Sand Rd.
Portland, OR 97202 Port Clinton, OH
(503) 234-7503 (419) 732-2200
e-mail gummitch at teleport.com
They carry the Wyeast 3278B and also a complete line of
laboratory supplies, culturing equipment and growth media.
Brewer s Resource
409 Calle San Pablo #104
Camarillo, CA 93012
1 (800) 827-3983
They carry both Brettanomyces and
Pediococcus and a line of culturing equipment and other
supplies for the homebrewer wanting to do their own
culturing.
Difco Laboratories
P.O. Box 331058
Detroit, Michigan 48232
1 (800) 521-0851
They do not sell direct, but only through
distributors. When you call request a catalog and the name
of your local distributor. They are an excellent source of
media and chemicals needed for the growth and isolation of
both yeast and bacteria of all types. I have had no
problems buying from my local distributor. Be prepared for
sticker shock when you see the catalog though.
Fungi Perfecti
P.O. Box 7634
Olympia, WA 98507
(206) 426-9292
WWW: http://www.halcyon.com/mycomed/catalog.html
Fungi Perfecti is a company that sells supplies and
equipment for culturing mushrooms. Because cultivation of
mushrooms requires sterile technique they sell a wide
variety of laboratory supplies and equipment that are also
useful to the homebrewer who does his or her own yeast
culture. Note their catalog is not free but the price is
deductible from the first order. They also have a page on
the WWW.
HeadStart Brewing Cultures
256 Cherokee Rdg.
Athens, GA 30606
(706) 548-7051
This company has Brettanomyces strains of various origins as
well as Pediococcus and other yeast and bacteria for
brewing non-traditional beers. They also have various
culturing supplies and media.
U-Brew
319 1/2 Millburn Ave.
Millburn, NJ 07041
(201) 376-0973
This is a homebrew shop that carries bottle caps and a
capper that work with European champagne and lambic
bottles.
The Yeast Culture Kit Company
(800) 742-2110
e-mail: yckco at aol.com
WWW: http://oenline.com/~pbabcock/yckcotbl.html
They carry Brettanomyces and Pediococcus as well as all the
necessary culturing supplies needed to grow these organisms
and can also supply specialized growth media upon request.
Wyeast Labs and G.W. Kent sell wholesale only, but you can
obtain their products through your local homebrew supplier.
Wyeast sells a yeast that carries the designation #3278B
(previously 3278 Brettanomyces Bruxellensis). G.W. Kent
sells a strain of Brettanomyces and a strain of Pediococcus
through their Yeast Lab division.
Regarding the Wyeast 3278B and its composition, the company
sent the following letter to retailers:
Sept. 5, 1995
Dear Valued Customer,
re: 3278 Yeast
Please provide this notice to all customers of: Brewers
Choice #3278B Yeast.
This name change reflects the fact that this yeast is a
blend of yeasts and not 100% of one particular strain. The
product has not changed; as many of you know, certain
Belgian beer styles require more than one yeast to make a
good beer. For several years we have produced this blend,
because using 100% of one yeast would make an unpalatable
beer. This item will remain available with a modified label
as indicated.
We are sorry if this has caused any inconvenience. Please
call or write use if you have any questions or comments.
Sincerely, Dave Logsdon.
Barrel Supplier List Note: The first four suppliers on this
list carry barrels in smaller sizes (i.e., 5-7 gallons or
the metric equivalent) The other suppliers may or may not
have barrels smaller than 200 liters. Napa Fermentations
carries both European and American Oak barrels.
Independent Stave makes only American oak barrels. Both
Demptos and Seguin Moreau carry only European oak barrels.
This information is believed to be correct at the time of
this writing. Typically a European oak barrel will cost
twice as much as an American equivalent and the price you
pay will also depend on the current exchange rate for
foreign currency.
You will find that the cost of a barrel does not increase in
a linear fashion with size (i.e. a 10 gallon barrels does
not cost twice as much as a 5 gallon) So it pays to shop
around and decide what your needs are really going to be.
If you are considering making really large batches you can
pick up used 200-225 L barrels from wineries for around
$50. Smaller sizes are nearly impossible to find used
because wineries use them to hold wine for topping up the
big casks and use them until they are ready to be used as
fire wood.
Napa Fermentations (707) 255-6372
Demptos Napa Cooperage (707) 257-2628
Independent Stave Co. (417) 588-4151
Seguin Moreau Cooperage (707) 252-3408
Tonnellerie Vicard (707) 257-3582
Tonnellerie Radoux (415) 457-3955
Tonnellerie Francaise (707) 942-9301
Tonnellerie Mercier (804) 493-9186
Les Tonnelleries de Bourgogne (707) 257-3582
Stefanich (415) 665-1885
Stavin (415) 331-7849
Pradel Barrels (707) 944-8720
Mel Knox Barrel (415) 751-6806
Custom Cooperage (707) 996-8781
Cork Associates (707) 224-6000
Boswell Co. (415) 457-3955
Blue Grass Cooperage (415) 331-5734
Barrel Builders (707) 942-4291
Barrel Specialties (707) 553-9707
Specialize in reconditioning used barrels. They have 30
gallon barrels available and will ship.
Fruit Suppliers
Oregon Fruit Products
150 Patterson Street NW
P.O. Box 5283
Salem, Oregon 97304
1-800-547-9153
Minimum order is one (1) 42 pound package of fruit. They do
not except VISA or MC, payment must be in advance. They
carry Strawberry, Red Raspberry, Blueberry, Marion
Blackberry, Boysenberry, Bing Cherry, Purple Plum, Red Tart
Cherry, Peach and Black Raspberry.
Variability of Fermentation
SOFT HARD ROPY
Alcohol (g/100 ml) 4.61 4.55 4.6
pH 3.9 3.4 3.5
Real Extract 1.018 1.015 1.019
Ethyl Acetate (ppm) 30.1 539.8 12.2
Propanol 9.2 8.7 5.0
Isobutanol 18.8 15.4 7.0
Butanol <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
Isoamyl Acetate <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
D-amyl Alcohol 15.6 11.4 9.0
Isoamyl Alcohol 57.9 53.1 39.5
Ethyl Lactate 21.9 140.3 79.0
Phenethyl Alcohol 45.8 38.1 64.0
Acetic Acid 766 3994 530.0
Lactic Acid 492 3677 13446
All beers were from the same brewery. The soft and hard
beers were both from the same batch of wort and were 9
months old. The ropy beer was 6 months old. Reference
(14)
Figure on Page 75 in Lambic A discussion
This figure illustrates a number of important points with
regard to the production of lambic beer. First of all it
should be pointed out that the data represented here all
came from one lambic brewery and was collected 20 years ago.
It does not necessarily represent the fermentation process
in all lambic breweries in Belgium. But it does provide
some very good insight into what occurs in lambic over time.
Remember that all the organisms that are present in lambic
are introduced when the wort is cooled and transferred to
the casks. No pure culture additions are made at anytime.
During the cooling process microorganisms enter the wort
from the brewery environment. The view that they are blown
in on the night air and that the Senne Valley is the only
place in the world where a spontaneously fermented beer like
lambic can be produced is a somewhat silly romantic notion
that has been shown to be basically untrue. Dr Verachtert
has written ...the special microclimate of the river
Zenne accounts for the special mysterious microbial flora
necessary for lambic brewing . Translated into scientific
terms this means that the brewery environment has become a
source of appropriate micro-organisms and that lambic can be
brewed at other locations provided the brewer is prepared
to enter a long period of trial and error . All the yeast
and bacteria are already in the brewery and fall into the
wort more than likely attached to dust and dirt particles.
Insects, particularly flies and the occasional bird are
also responsible for inoculation of the wort. Another
source of microorganism is the pipes used to transfer the
wort from the coolship to the mixing tank and from the tank
to the fermentation casks. And finally the cask themselves
harbor bacteria and yeast since they are never really
sterilized between uses. Typically the only treatment
barrels get is a good hot water rinse, a scrubbing with
chains and then a sulfur candle is burned in them to inhibit
molds.
By the second or third day the fermentation process is well
underway with foam being produced by the metabolic activity
of the enteric bacteria. These bacteria as stated before
are primarily responsible for the acetic acid in lambic. As
you can see the acetic acid reaches a constant level in a
few weeks, showing no further increases. At the same time
yeast of the species Kloeckera apiculata begin to grow as
well. The combined metabolic activity of these
microorganisms consumes most of the available glucose and
free amino acids.
After about two weeks the Saccharomyces species begin to
overgrow the wort. Their growth seems to be delayed
partially because the enteric bacteria and Kloeckera
apiculata have consumed most of the readily available
nutrients. The enteric bacteria further hinder the growth
of the Saccharomyces through some as yet unknown mechanism.
Once the Saccharomyces begin to grow they produce ethanol
and lower the pH of the wort and this leads to the enteric
bacteria and Kloeckera being killed off. The Saccharomyces
are responsible for the main alcoholic fermentation. They
dominate for about 3-4 months and then their numbers begin
to slowly decline. This decline is primarily due to the
increase in acidity brought on by the growth of lactic acid
bacteria and Brettanomyces yeasts. The Saccharomyces seem
not to be able to survive the combination of ethanol, acetic
and lactic acids.
At three to four months lactic acid bacteria of the species
Pediococcus damnosus become the dominant microorganism in
the wort. This increase in growth coincides with the
increase in temperature that occurs at the onset of spring
and summer. The increase in temperature is important, for
otherwise the bacteria will not proliferate and the
subsequent acid production will not occur. This
proliferation of the lactic bacteria can be seen occurring
with each summer the wort is in the cask.
At times the lactic bacteria reach very high levels and the
wort will become ropy . This is due to exopolysaccharides
that the bacteria produce and causes the wort to become
viscous and stringy. Though it is visually unappealing it
is completely harmless. It seems that subsequent growth of
Brettanomyces leads to the slime being broken down and
disappearing. The lactic bacteria are an integral part of
the lambic fermentation leading to the large amounts of
lactic acid found in the beer.
After about seven to eight month the lactic acid bacteria
have declined and yeast of the species Brettanomyces begin
to take over. For the remainder of the fermentation period
these are the dominant yeast found in the beer. They have
the ability to hydrolyze dextrins and thus breakdown the
remaining polysaccharides in the wort.
The Brettanomyces yeast are responsible for many of the
chemicals found in the beer and the characteristic flavors
and aromas they lead to. As already discussed these
include ethyl lactate, ethyl acetate and the various organic
acids such as caprylic, capric and caproic acid along with
a number of other chemical compounds. It is the
combination of these many compounds that add to the overall
flavor complexity of a fine lambic.
As with the lactic bacteria the Brettanomyces yeast grow
very slowly and never reach very high numbers. Also due to
their ability to form branching structures they can float
and form a pellicle on the top of the fermenting beer. It
is felt that this film helps protect the beer from
subsequent oxidation over the long fermentation period.
An important point indicated by the graph is that by 12
months the beer has come close to being at steady state.
That is the levels of alcohol, acetic and lactic acid, and
ethyl acetate have reached constant levels. After the first
year what then occurs is that various other compounds are
either produced or converted and any remaining
polysaccharides are broken down. This a very slow process
due to the fastidious nature of the microorganisms. The
process is further inhibited by the unfavorable
environmental conditions of very low pH and high alcohol
that inhibit the enzymes of the yeast and bacteria. Once
the beer is put into the bottle these changes and chemical
reactions continue to occur but again at a very slow rate.
This is why lambic beer takes so long to ferment and
develop in the bottle. The take home message is to be
patient and not try to rush things.
Conclusions
Making lambic-style ale can be as easy as boiling up some
extract and throwing in some cultures. Or it can be done
using very traditional techniques and methods. The main
factor is that regardless of what you do the beer will take
time to ferment and develop the right flavor profile.
Basically the take home message is that you need to be
patient no matter what path you follow. Then you may be
rewarded with an outstanding end product and then again you
might not. The brewing of lambic - style beers can provide
a whole new avenue to your brewing hobby. One that I think
you find well worth taking. Other Topics for General
Audience Discussion
What really is it that makes a good lambic? Lambic, gueuze,
fruit varieties Extract approach and all grain approach
Discussion of Blending and its effect Who drinks lambic and
why
Bibliography
1. Jackson, M., The Great Beers of Belgium
(M.M.C. -CODA, Antwerp, Belgium, 1991).
2. Guinard, J.X., Lambic, Published by Brewers Publications,
1990.
3. Lodahl, Martin, Brewing in Styles: Lambic: Belgium s
Unique Treasure , Brewing Techniques, Vol. 3. No. 4, pp.
34-46, 1995.
4. Lodahl, M. Belgium: A Land of Endless Riches , Zymurgy
Vol. 18, No. 1., pp. 40- 44, 1995
5. Farrell, N. Malt Extract: The Enchanting World of Malt
Extract-Make the Most of It ., Zymurgy, Vol 17, No. 5,
1994.
6. Lodahl, M. Malt Extracts: Cause for Caution .,
BrewingTechniques, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 26-28. 1993.
7. Warner, Eric, German Wheat Beer, Published by Brewers
Publications, 1992.
8. Boon, Frank, FAX Communication 2-23-95
9. Hall, Michael L., Brew by the Numbers - Add Up What s in
Your Beer , Zymurgy, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 54-61, 1995.
10. Dawaud, Ensaf, Characteristics of Enterobacteriaceae
Involved in Lambic Brewing 1987, Ph.D. Dissertation, KUL.
11.Maris, Frank, Dextrinases from Lambic Organisms -
Brettanomyces lambicus and Lactobacillus brevis Isolation
and Characterization , 1990, M.S. Thesis
12. Microbiology and Biochemistry of Lambic Beer
Overattenuation by H.M. Chandana Shantha Kumara. 1990,
Ph.D. Dissertation.
13. Van Oevelen, D., Microbiology and Biochemistry of the
Natural Wort Fermentation in the Production of Lambic and
Gueuze , 1979, Ph.D. Dissertation.
14. Van Oevelen, D., De L Escaille, F., Verachtert, H.,
Synthesis of Aroma Components During the Spontaneous
Fermentation of Lambic and Gueuze , J. Inst. Brew. Vol. 82,
pp. 322-326, 1976.
15. Sharp, M. Brasserie Cantillon , Lambic Digest #603, 14
May 1995.
16. Mussche, R., Where the Wild Yeast Are! , Conference
Notes from the Home Brew U, Seattle, Washington, 12 March
1994.
17. Nalgene Labware Catalog 1995, Nalge Company Rochester
NY.
18. Raines, M.B., Methods of Sanitation and Sterilization ,
BrewingTechniques, Vol. 1. No. 2. pp. 30-33, 1993.
19. Liddil, J., Palmer, J., Ward Off the Wild Things: A
Complete Guide to Cleaning and Sanitation . Zymurgy, Vol.
18, No. 3, 1995.
20. Swaffield, C.H., Scott, J.A., Existence and Development
of Natural Microbial Populations in Wooden Storage Vats
used for Alcoholic Cider Maturation . J. Am. Soc. Brew.
Chem. Vol. 53, No. 3, pp. 117-120, 1995.
21. Swan, James S. What s Best for Barrels: Air or
Kiln-Drying ?, Wines and Vines, July 1993, pp. 43-49.
22. Shon, G.M., US Oak: A Match for Chardonnay?, Wines and
Vines, November 1991, pp. 44-46.
23. Martens, H., Dawoud, E., Verachtert, H., Wort
Enterobacteria and Other Microbial Populations Involved
During The First Month of Lambic Fermentation , J. Inst.
Brew., Vol. 97, pp. 435-439, 1991.
24. Enriquez, C.E., Enriquez-Gordillo, R.E., Kennedy, D.I.,
and Gerba, C.P., Bacteriological Survey of
Domestic-Kitchen Cellulose Sponges and Cotton Dishcloths .
Journal of Food Protection, In Press, 1996.
25. Barnett, J.A., Payne, R.W., Yarrow, D., Yeasts:
Characteristics and Identification. Cambridge University
Press. 1983.
26. The Yeasts: A Taxonomic Study., 3rd Ed., Edited by
N.J.W. Kreger-van Rij. Elsevier Science Publishers. 1984
27. Fugelsang, K.C., Osborn, M.M., and Muller, C.J.,
Brettanomyces and Dekkera: Implications in Wine Making .
In Beer and Wine Production: Analysis, Characterization,
and Technological Advances , Published by American Chemical
Society, 1993, pp. 110-129.
28. Spaepan, M., Verachtert, H., Esterase Activity in the
Genus Brettanomyces , J. Inst. Brew., Vol. 88, pp. 11-17,
1982.
29. Spaepan, M., Van Oevelen, D., Verachtert, H., Fatty
Acids and Esters Produced During the Spontaneous
Fermentation of Lambic And Gueuze , J. Inst. Brew., Vol.
84, pp. 278-282, 1978.
30. Leistad, R.
31. Rajotte, P., First Steps in Yeast Culture.
32. Zymurgy, Yeast and Beer Special Issue Vol. 12, No. 4.
1989.
33. Caldwell, Jim, How to Build a Laminar Flow Hood for as
Little as $100 . BrewingTechniques, Vol. 3. No. 3. pp.
18-21.
Further Reading
Verachtert, H., Iserentant, D., Properties of Belgian Acid
Beers and Their Microflora. 1. The Production of Gueuze and
Related Refreshing Acid Beers . Cerevesia, Vol. 20, No. 1,
pp. 37-42, 1995.
Van Nedervelde, L., Debourg, A. Properties of Belgian Acid
Beers and Their Microflora. 2. Biochemical Properties of
Brettanomyces Yeasts . Cerevesia, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp.
43-48, 1995
Shantha Kumara, H. M. C., Verachtert, H., Identification of
Lambic Superattenuating Micro-Organisms by the Use of
Selective Antibiotics . J. Inst. Brew., Vol. 97, pp.
181-185, 1991.
Van Oevelen, D., Spaepan, M., Timmermans, P., Verachtert,
H., Microbiological Aspects of Spontaneous Wort
Fermentation in the Production of Lambic and Gueuze , J.
Inst. Brew., Vol. 83, pp. 356-360, 1977.
Noonan, G., Belgian Lambics , The New Brewer Vol. 10, pp.
26-29, 1987.
Sharp, M. and Lodahl, M., Brewing Lambic Beers
Traditionally and at Home , Just Brew It, Beer and Brewing
Vol. 12, Brewers Publications, pp. 1992
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 1996 8:16:17 -0700 (MST)
From: Jim Liddil <JLIDDIL at AZCC.Arizona.EDU>
Subject: Various
I hope some of you enjoy my AHA manuscript. Sorry to upload it all at once but
I did not want to mess with it all week long. :-)
Maybe others can comment on the cherry quality of the beer I served at the AHA
conf.
Does anyone else (besides Al) have confirmation that Wyeast is no putting pedio
in the 3278 B packages?
Some of you may find my judging comments and scores for the AHA conference a
bit harsh. In the words of someone who knows alot more about Belgium and
Belgian beers than nayone I know "Oh, Screw them". :-) X 10 for the humor
impaired. I'm ready to be crucified.
Brew Wild or Die.
Jim
http://radon.gas.uug.arizona.edu:80/~jliddil/
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 1996 22:28:12 -0400
From: Kenny lefkowitz <lefty at vt.edu>
Subject: barrels for lambic fermentation
I am looking for feedback on using reconditioned whiskey barrels for
fermenters. Would whiskey barrels, if taken apart and planed, be suitable
for fermenting lambic? I would love a used 59 gallon French oak barrel but
either cannot afford the price or find one. Any thoughts would be
appreciated.
Kenny
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 13:53:27 -0400
From: Ron Raike <ron at mail.creol.ucf.edu>
Subject: 1st place pLambic
Never thought that pLambic could do it. I was told it was (unofficial)
2nd BOS . It was great meeting others from this digest and putting
faces to names. Glad I went, it was a great time. I still have a pair
of shoes that were left in my room during one of the bearfoot
"smoke beer" sessions (its a long story)
.. not sure who they belong to??
Thanks go out to everyone participating in the Lambic Digest.
Special Thanks also go out to Jim Liddil, Scott Bickham, and
Mike Sharp for supporting the LD.
For those interested heres the recipe:
"Base pLambic"
.5bbl recipe
19 lb. DWC Pale Malt
7.75 lb. Raw Wheat
4 lb. Flaked Wheat
1.5 lb. DWC Caravienna
4 oz. 2 year old Cascade hops
200 ml starter of Headstart Brett brux
200 ml starter of Headstart Brett lambicus
200 ml starter of Headstart Kloeckera apiculata
200 ml starter of Headstart Candida lambicus
200 ml starter of 3 year old bottle of Boon Gueuze dregs
200 ml starter of dregs from previous pLambic
200 ml starter of Wyeast 1056 (2 weeks)
200 ml starter of Headstart Pediococcus damn.(3 months)
22 gals soft water
Dough in with 68#C water, thick mash, 30 min. rest at 45#C.
Used a 4 hour turbidish / 3 decoction mash schedule. 1st
decoction was thick but milky, 2nd decoction was similar to
1st, 3rd was 98% liquid. Each were about 4-5 qts. in size.
30 minute rests were attempted at 60#C and at 70#C - between
decoctions. Infusion and sparge water were at 80 - 90#C.
2.5 hr. lauter - first runs were at 1.051. Collected about 17
gal. It worked out to be about 25-26 pts/lb/gal 2.5 hr. boil,
hops added at beginning. Counterflow chilled about 13 gal.
into SS keg. OG - 1.058. Wort was well oxygenated.
Yes it was a 12 hr. brew day without cleanup.
Main starters were pitched initially then the 1056 after 2 weeks.
Slight pellicle already forming when the 1056 was pitched.
Then Pediococcus starter was pitched after 3 months.
Fermented for 9 more months, 1 year total - no racking.
Dense thick pellicle about 1 inch thick. Bottled 2.5 gals
with .5 cup corn sugar. Judged after 3 months in the bottle.
I will measure the final gravity soon and post with 2nd
round judge comments if anyone is interested.
Yes this lambic is young, maybe a little sweet. Full. Very clear.
Sourness is nice and getting nicer, finishes clean.
Another 3-4 gals will soon be racked to 10-12 lb. Wild Blackberries.
Remainder will be kept for future blendings and experiments.
Support your Local Lambic Defence League!
Ron Raike - CREOL/UCF
Computers/Networks/Facilities/Head Brewer
407-823-6803
ron at mail.creol.ucf.edu
------------------------------
End of Lambic Digest
************************
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